In image forming apparatuses such as an electro-photographic copier, a facsimile, and a printer, there is an apparatus available, for maintenance such as parts exchange, cleaning, and recovery of paper jamming, for rotating a cover on the top using a cover switching support point formed on the side of the body frame as a fulcrum and opening an image forming unit or the conveying path of sheets of paper. On the other hand, among various image forming apparatuses, there is an apparatus available having a paper receiving tray for loading sheets of paper whereon images are formed which is arranged on the side of the body frame.
However, in the image forming apparatus wherein the paper receiving tray is installed on the side of the body frame, when the top cover is opened, the side of the body frame is rotated, so that the paper receiving tray is inclined in link motor with the body frame. When the paper receiving tray is inclined like this, if a sheet of paper with an image formed is loaded on the paper receiving tray, the sheet of paper on the paper receiving tray falls.
Therefore, conventionally, before opening the cover at time of maintenance, a sheet of paper to be loaded on the paper receiving tray is removed once and after end of maintenance, the removed sheet of paper is returned again onto the paper receiving tray.
However, the sheet of paper moving operation aforementioned in correspondence with the maintenance operation causes staining to sheets of paper and requires a great deal of time and it is necessary to reserve a space for keeping sheets of paper taken out from the paper receiving tray free of staining during the maintenance operation.
Therefore, an image forming apparatus for preventing sheets of paper on the paper receiving tray arranged on the side of the body frame from falling though the cover opening operation of the body frame is performed, reducing the maintenance operation, and preventing the sheets of paper form staining is desired.